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🌊 Marine Least Concern ⚡ Reports of ciguatera poisoning 🌡️ Tropical

Longhorn cowfish

Lactoria cornuta Linnaeus, 1758
Max Length
46 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.5
Depth
1–100 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
24.00/100
Typical Length
40 cm
Depth Zone
reef

📖 Overview

Inhabit inshore on coastal muddy or sandy habitats in still bays, and commonly found in harbours and estuaries. Small juveniles on protected shallow mudflats . Found in weedy areas near rocks or reefs. Juveniles often near river mouths and in brackish water. Adults are solitary, juveniles often form small groups . Large adults are shy . Feed on benthic invertebrates by blowing away the sand . Readily dried and used to make ornaments .

Scientific Name
Lactoria cornuta
Authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
46 cm
Depth Range
1–100 m
Latitude
35°S – 42°N
Trophic Level
3.5
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
24.00/100
Migration
Non-migratory
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Cryptic coloring ranges from green and olive to orange with blue spots . Caudal fin rays 9-10 . : short and / or deep.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Longhorn cowfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 1 - 100 m , usually 1 - 50 m . Tropical; 42°N - 35°S, 18°E - 123°W East Africa (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish 🪸 Reef Associated
Migration
Non-migratory
Trophic Level
3.5±0.37
🧍 Solitary
Food Items

benthic invertebrates by blowing away the sand (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.02042 × L2.76 (TL)
Max TL
46cm
Dorsal Rays
9
Anal Rays
9

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2023

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
24.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.5
Predator
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
42°N – 35°S
Described By
Linnaeus, 1758

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Ostracion cornutus Linnaeus 1758 Synonym
Ostracion horridus Desjardins 1836 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 43 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
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View all observations for Longhorn cowfish ↗
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